Chapter 35

Manuel stood facing her, massaging the back of his neck as he spoke.

“Sorry about earlier. I wanted to express my gratitude for saving me when I fell in the ocean, but I was so flustered that I ended up saying weird things and just running off. I’m sorry.”

It seemed he was still bothered by the way he had fled earlier like a fugitive. Isu nodded as if to say it was fine. Seeing her reaction, Manuel relaxed his anxious expression.

“If there’s anything you’re struggling with, let me know anytime. My desire to help you out remains valid forever.”

Sincerity shone clearly through his pure eyes. If only he weren’t friends with Declan, they could have gotten along much better than they did now, but since she felt awkward at the moment, she replied formally.

“Yeah. Thank you, too, Manuel.”

“And… um…”

Manuel hesitated for a moment, as if trying to force out difficult words. Just when she started feeling like she wanted to hurry away because she could see Hayden standing behind Manuel, he spoke.

“If Hayden acts ungentlemanly, come to me anytime.”

“Huh?”

“Because I’ll protect you. I’m not just saying that to be nice.”

She could tell from his tone that he wasn’t just blowing smoke. If he was just saying it for the sake of politeness, he wouldn’t have beaten around the bush like that.

Just as Isu was about to give a vague reply and head over to Hayden, she froze. She knew that even if Hayden did act ungentlemanly, she would never go running to Manuel. Because she wasn’t staying with Hayden just to be protected. She was doing it simply… simply because she… liked being with him.

“I-I…”

It was something she could have easily admitted to clear the air, but for some reason, she found herself hesitating.

Glancing sideways at Hayden, Manuel meaninglessly shook the branch wrapped in cloth and cut her off.

“I’ve got to go. See you later.”

As soon as Manuel disappeared toward the rocky mountain, Isu walked the lakeside path with Hayden. Even though they had just been having a sweet conversation alone in the yard, a strange, grim current seemed to radiate from Hayden’s eyes.

He was like a coin with entirely different front and back sides. One moment he was endlessly affectionate, and the next he grew inexplicably cold, keeping everyone on edge.

Or was she just misunderstanding him because of his sharp, cool features? Should she just ask him directly?

Deciding that would be best, she turned toward the rocky mountain, and he extended a hand to her. The guidebook he had brought from the quarters was folded shut, as if no longer needed.

“The path looks like it’ll be rough.”

Isu cautiously took the hand extended before her. In stark contrast to his sharp gaze, his touch was so gentle that she was able to shake off the suspicion that he was angry.

For a while, she was practically dragged along by his strength as they climbed the rocky mountain. Even though it felt like they had spent an entire day, the sky was still at midday.

Gazing up at the sky quite suddenly, Isu asked,

“What time is it?”

Hayden checked the watch on his wrist.

“Seven. We have two hours until the sun goes down.”

She figured it would be plenty of time to enjoy the scenery for about an hour and then head back down. Putting strength into her feet as she trod on the bumpy stone ground, she spotted a man up ahead, parting the grass and peering around. It was Manuel.

“Declan! Declan, where are you!”

No matter what Declan’s character was like, they were still close friends, so he seemed genuinely worried about his whereabouts. Besides, where on earth was Declan and what was he up to? Even if he had gone into hiding out of fear of retribution, she figured he’d come back once he got hungry, but…

As her thoughts drifted, a refreshing breeze brushed against her face. Lifting her head, which had been fixed on the ground, a cliff with an unobstructed view in all directions revealed its majestic presence.

“Woah…”

Beneath an endless white sky, a deep blue ocean stretched out. The colors were so vivid, as if painted with watercolors, that they were almost dazzling.

Only, today didn’t seem to be the day, as no rainbow was in sight.

Still, simply taking in the sun dipping toward the west, the blue sea, and the lush green earth was more than enough. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, Isu said,

“It’s beautiful.”

Then, wearing the expression of someone who had conquered the world, she looked around. There was something strange. Between the tall trees on the wide, yard-like cliff, there was a hammock, a pull-up bar, and even a basketball hoop.

What stood out the most was a giant pine tree shading a cabin below it. Could this be a remnant from when the place was used as a tourist spot? Walking toward the cabin, Isu said,

“A basketball hoop, a pull-up bar, a cabin… It feels like someone’s personal space.”

Silently agreeing, Hayden looked around as well. Stopping right in front of the cabin, Isu peered inside through the window.

A room the size of a master bedroom welcomed her. A king-sized bed sat in front of the window, and beside it were a wooden table and a mini-fridge.

Right next to that was another door, which looked like it belonged to a utility room or a bathroom. She was curious. Who on earth used to occupy this space?

“Let’s wait a little bit for the rainbow and go inside for a look.”

Isu lightly pulled on the entrance door. To her surprise, the door—which she expected to be locked—creaked open.

A lingering, aged wooden scent drifted thickly from the room, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time.

That was fleeting; stepping inside, the scent of fresh forest and a faint hint of fabric softener brushed against the tip of her nose.

The bed, made up with fluffy blankets, looked so inviting that she wanted to lie down right then and there to relieve her fatigue. Meanwhile, Hayden opened the small refrigerator.

Since there was no power running to it, the inside of the fridge was pitch black. Still, there were bottles of water, energy bars, and cereal inside. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Isu peered into the fridge.

“Someone must have converted this old tourist shelter into a home. Could it be Graham? Did Graham like rainbows too, so he built a shelter here?”

The thought that this space had once been used by a man as dark as a shadow gave her a sudden chill. Just as a sudden urge to leave washed over her, Hayden pulled some snacks from the fridge and placed them on the table.

Isu stared intently at Hayden. He was a man who had been chatting affectionately with her just while eating soup—why had he suddenly grown so taciturn…?

Could it be that her private conversation with Manuel had gotten on his nerves?

Twisting and untwisting the fabric of the blanket with her hand, Isu asked,

“Um… can I tell you what I talked about with Manuel earlier?”

Hoping to explain before he could misunderstand her relationship with Manuel, she brought it up. She figured he’d be curious anyway, but what she got back was an unexpected reply.

“I heard everything.”

Standing up wide-eyed, Isu stared at him.

“You heard everything…? From that distance?”

Not only was his physique robust and impressive, but his physical capabilities seemed downright superior, too. But if he had already heard everything, his talkativeness shouldn’t have dried up just out of curiosity or annoyance over the conversation…

Curious as to why the corners of his eyes were shadowed, she stepped right up until she was inches from his face. Gazing down at her steadily, Hayden stroked her cheek and replied,

“I couldn’t believe it. That you vanished without a word and spent time with Manuel.”

“……”

“Did I hear that right?”

His pupils shone with a dull, blind-like gleam. His eyes were undoubtedly soaked in betrayal and jealousy, just like a lover witnessing an affair.

Even if she told him there was nothing going on between her and Manuel, the mood suggested he wouldn’t believe it. Since it was an undeniable fact that she had gone out to the ocean with Manuel while he was asleep, she didn’t know how to respond.

“That is…”

Isu tried to imagine how she would have felt if he had spent time with Jenna while she was asleep. Imagining the scene of him treating Jenna with those subtly affectionate touches, gazes, and words he had used on Isu all this time sent a chilling sink to her chest.

Hayden undoubtedly would have felt the same way. Isu lowered her head in silence.

“That’s…”

Sweeping the black hair that fell to her chest back behind her shoulder, Hayden coldly interrogated her.

“You’re much more of a flirt than you look, aren’t you?”

Startled, Isu raised her head.

“No, no. It’s not like that…”

“Then what is it?”

“I wanted to make fish soup for you, so I was looking for fishing supplies. That’s when Manuel showed up and offered to show me a good fishing spot…”

If Hayden asked why she hadn’t woken him up and gone with Manuel instead, she wouldn’t have had an answer. She doubted he’d understand if she said it was because he was sick and she wanted to let him rest.

Isu simply explained her frame of mind when she had set out to catch fish.

“I wanted to catch fish and make the dish as quickly as possible. I figured the best way to do that was to get help from Manuel, who had already been fishing there… I just wanted to catch the fish quickly and eat it with you.”

Her voice sank heavily.

Fingering Isu’s hair, Hayden stroked her jaw with his thumb and replied.

“That guy wasn’t just planning on fishing.”

The words that followed drove Isu into a corner.

“Those lewd things I did to your body yesterday. Manuel was probably picturing himself doing those exact things to you in his head, too. Hanging around a guy like that is dangerous.”

In stark contrast to his cold-toned eyes, Hayden’s voice was gentle. That offered a momentary sense of relief, but chewing over his words brought the anxiety creeping back up.

“Manuel…? There’s no way Manuel would do that.”

Isu shook her head. Manuel. The man with that pure smile couldn’t possibly be like that. It was impossible to imagine Manuel talking dirty like Hayden, plunging into a woman’s body, and making her moan in pleasure—things like that… were totally unthinkable.

“No, Manuel has always treated me purely. He probably just wanted to repay me for saving his life. I can guarantee that.”

As he listened to those words at his leisure, the corners of Hayden’s mouth turned visibly vulgar.

“Pure? How can a male whose crotch starts itching just wanting to shove his penis into an opening and scrape it raw the moment a new female appears be pure?”

When they were alone together, the affectionate man refused to tolerate the intrusion of any third party between them. Soon pressing his lips to Isu’s flustered cheek, he spoke as if coaxing a child.

“How can a species whose lower halves itch just wanting to fuck any opening whenever they get a free minute be pure, hm?”

Isu shook her head, as if to say there were men who weren’t like that. At that, Hayden pulled Isu’s hand and forced her to grip his lower half.

Concealed beneath his clothes, his member was rigidly erect. Its volume was so massive that it was hard to even wrap a single hand around it.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Isu inhaled a deep breath.

“That… sounds like you’re saying you’d want to do that to just any woman whenever you get a free minute, too.”

Pressing his lips to her cheek, Hayden locked eyes with her.

“Because you’re the only woman who looks like a woman in my eyes.”

“Liar.”

At Isu’s denial, the lines of his mouth curved upward.